Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I agree with Deputy Boyd Barrett that people have suffered as a result of what has happened to this country, the way Fianna Fáil mismanaged our economy and the way the banking system was dealt with. People have suffered loss of employment, loss of businesses and the loss of services in education, health and elsewhere. They are justifiably angry when they see some of the people who were responsible for that, including people who worked in the banking system, walking away with huge pensions or retaining huge salaries within the banking system. There is political will to deal with this. That is the reason the Minister for Finance has undertaken the review of salaries in all of the banks covered by the bank bailout and by taxpayers' money. He is looking at a range of options.

The Deputy asked why we do not impose a 10% levy on pensions of over €100,000 per year. It would be good if the Deputy paid attention to what happens in the House. In July this year, my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, brought a Bill before the House, which was passed, to impose a levy of not 10% but 20% on pensions over €100,000.

See this speech in context